CES 2017: Leviton Debuts New HomeKit-Enabled Light Switches and Dimmers

Leviton today unveiled new HomeKit-enabled light switches and dimmers at CES 2017, including a 1000W Universal Dimmer, 600W Universal Dimmer, and 15A Universal Rocker Switch.

Like other smart light switches and dimmers, the trio of new Decora products can be used in tandem with the free Decora Smart Home app for iPhone and iPad to control lights and loads.

The app has customizable settings for bulb type, adjustable fade rate, minimum and maximum brightness levels, and more.

With HomeKit, the products can also be controlled with Siri voice commands and Home app on iOS 10 to easily turn on, off, dim, or brighten an individual light or an entire room, zone, or home.

The dimmers and switch can leverage HomeKit scenes including “Good Morning” and “Good Night.” Other custom HomeKit scenes can be configured in the Home app to automatically turn off lights, lock doors, close the garage door, and set the thermostat to the desired temperature in just one step.

The dimmers feature rocker paddles and embedded LEDs to display the illumination level, but the LEDs vanish when not being used to ensure a clean design. The in-wall dimmers and switch are also designed to function with low-wattage light sources, such as a single LED bulb or a strand of holiday lights.

Light switches comprise one of the most crowded HomeKit accessory categories, with several competing options available from Elgato, iDevices, Incipio, and more.

Leviton said the new Decora lighting control accessories will be available in April. Pricing was not disclosed.

Tags: HomeKit, Leviton
Discuss this article in our forums

Elago’s W3 Charging Stand Turns Your Apple Watch Into the Original Macintosh

Elago’s W3 Stand for Apple Watch can turn Apple’s modern wearable device into a classic Macintosh, all while charging and protecting the Apple Watch. The Nightstand Mode-only accessory has a slot for the Apple Watch’s charging puck and a small compartment that you slide the Apple Watch into, turning its 38mm or 42mm display into that of a retro Mac. The dock was originally announced last November, but is just now gaining attention online.

To prevent scratching on the Apple Watch’s casing, band, and screen, the entire W3 dock is made of soft silicone, also making it easy to place and remove the Watch. The image used on Elago’s website appears to use the Stone Sport Band on the Apple Watch, which is now unavailable on Apple.com. Any band and case combination will work on the dock, however.

Those interested can purchase the W3 Stand from Elago’s website for $13.49, as well as on Amazon for $11.99. An alternate black version is also available.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch Series 2, watchOS 3
Tag: Elago
Buyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Caution)
Discuss this article in our forums

CES 2017: Razer Debuts ‘Project Valerie’ Triple Display Laptop

Razer, known for its gaming laptops and accessories, today unveiled its latest product, the world’s first triple display laptop. Project Valerie features a Razer laptop that’s equipped with one main display and two fold out side displays, all of which are 4K.

Each display measures in at 17.3 inches, for what Razer says is the most expansive viewing experience in a notebook. Project Valerie is powered by an NVIDIA GeForce 1080 GPU and supports NVIDIA Surround View with a resolution of 11520 x 2160 for an immersive gaming experience.

While the three displays can be used as a single display, they can also be used individually to run multiple applications at the same time. An automated deployment system that uses durable aluminum hinges lets the laptop be set up in a matter of seconds, with perfect display alignment.

According to Razer, though its equipped with three displays, Project Valerie has a form factor that’s comparable to other 17-inch gaming laptops on the market, fitting neatly into a laptop bag so it can be taken anywhere. It’s about 1.5 inches thick and weighs approximately 12 pounds.

Project Valerie is still a prototype machine and it is not clear if it will eventually see a release. No launch date information or pricing details are available, but interested customers can sign up to learn more about it on Razer’s website.

Tags: Razer, CES 2017
Discuss this article in our forums

Razer Project Ariana Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

One of the more unusual concept pieces Razer has ever shown off at CES is Project Ariana, a high-concept projector that’s designed to complement, not replace, your main display.

It combines an ultra-wide 155-degree fish-eye lens and a pair of 3D-sensing cameras to “paint” some combination of in-game footage, related images (like weather effects) and colored lights, via Razer’s Chroma lighting system, all in an effort to augment the onscreen game experience and make it feel all-enveloping.

Razer

“Project Ariana is a concept design that showcases the power and potential of the Razer Chroma platform in the pre-VR world in bridging the gap between gamers and games,” says Razer co-founder and CEO Min-Liang Tan in a press release.

Project Ariana is still just a prototype, but it’s designed to also work as a standalone high-def projector, which should help the concept feel a bit more practical. Still, it’s too early to expect a potential price or date, and this product may never actually see a commercial release.

But, while Project Ariana is new, you might think the overall idea sounds a little familiar. That’s because this treads some of the same ground as the Microsoft Illumiroom, a never-released prototype from CES 2013 that was designed to do something similar for an Xbox console.

Razer

Ariana also highlights the growth of Razer’s Chroma lighting system, which is built into its laptops and accessories. New at CES 2017, is that the Chroma ecosystem will now be open to third-party partners. Some potential examples include lights from the 16.8 million Chroma color palette syncing across devices such as Philips Hue lights, gaming PC cases from Lenovo and Antec, and even a Lian Li standing desk.

Razer Project Ariana
See full gallery

1 – 4 of 6

Next
Prev

We’ve seen colored lights in many gaming laptops and desktops over the years, but the Chroma lighting system available in the Razer Blade line is the most impressive so far, so it’ll be interesting to see it work hand-in-hand with different products in 2017.

Honeywell Lyric C2 Wi-Fi Indoor Camera Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

Meet the Honeywell Lyric C2 Wi-Fi Indoor Camera.

Sarah Tew/CNET

It’s hard to find a security camera that’s truly versatile, but Honeywell’s new Lyric C2 Wi-Fi Indoor Camera is an exception. With local storage, free cloud storage an optional cloud storage upgrade, as well as optional professional monitoring, the Lyric C2 really lets you decide how you want to manage your home security.

Are you a budding DIYer interested in experimenting with home security for the first time? You can buy a single Lyric C2, install it yourself and use local storage — an 8GB SD card comes with your camera purchase — or the free cloud storage to review old footage.

Are you sold on a more comprehensive security and smart-home system? You can buy multiple Lyric C2’s, have a professional dealer install them and integrate them with Honeywell’s own professionally monitored security system. Not only will you have the cameras watching over things, the installer will also configure sensors, control panels, thermostats (video below) and other connected devices to work alongside them.

The latest tech news:

• Self-driving cars to headline CES 2017
• Whirlpool turns food waste into fertilizer at CES
• Siri and Alexa’s future: Health and emotional support?

Here’s an overview of the Lyric C2’s specs:

• High-definition (HD) resolution
• A 138-degree field of view
• Two-way audio
• 8GB SD card
• Free 24-hour cloud storage
• Optional 7- or 30-day cloud storage upgrades
• Optional professional monitoring
• Motion and sound detection
• Geofencing
• Four detection zones

Check out all the smart home products at…
See full gallery

1 – 4 of 33

Next
Prev

In addition to the Lyric C2, Honeywell also added the Lyric C1 Wi-Fi indoor camera to its lineup today. The Lyric C1 has a lot of the same features as the Lyric C2, although it’s a more paired-down version with a 135-degree field of view and just two detection zones. Honeywell hasn’t released pricing information for the Lyric C2 or C1 just yet, but the cameras should be available within the first few months of 2017.

Honeywell also announced that its Lyric Home Security and Control System now works with Apple’s smart-home platform, HomeKit. Read more about this news here.

Click here to find out what else is happening at CES 2017.

Close

Drag

Misfit Vapor Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

Big, bright, round screen? Check. GPS? Check. Water resistant for swimming? Heart rate? Check, check. Misfit’s newest fitness watch looks like it’s going for all the features. But yet, after seeing it, I’m not even sure it’ll exist in the form I saw.

Called Misfit Vapor, the round watch looks sharp and promises a mix of phone-connected and fully stand-alone functions. It also has Wi-Fi, and according to Misfit, it’ll check email and even play music away from a phone.

Misfit Vapor’s weather report.

Scott Stein/CNET

But music playback is limited to MP3s, loaded via a computer over USB or Wi-Fi. The Vapor can’t connect to a phone to transfer music because it can’t hook into services like Google Play or Apple Music, and doesn’t have its own on-phone app store. According to Misift, the goal is to head to streaming music services eventually: maybe Spotify, or Amazon Music. Even the MP3 function didn’t work during my demo.

Vapor’s AMOLED display is nice and bright.

Scott Stein/CNET

So what can it really do? In my brief demo with Vapor, most of its functions didn’t work. It was more of a concept than a fully functioning device. The interface looks promising: a dial-like touch control like the Samsung Gear S2, and quick shortcuts to weather, fitness modes and music, with a couple of nice watch faces. The promised feature list is expansive: messages, weather, music playback, heart rate, GPS tracking, swim tracking and Link, Misfit’s one-touch smart button interface that already works via IFTTT with many connected devices.

Vapor’s dial-like interface.

Scott Stein/CNET

But there are already too many smartwatches, and between Apple Watch, the upcoming revamp of Google’s Android Wear, and Samsung’s Gear watches, the Vapor is going to have an impossible challenge. And it’s no Fitbit, either, although Fossil, which owns Misfit, could adopt Vapor’s concepts in a future watch. Maybe, even, one that works with Android Wear. When I asked Misfit about those possibilities, it didn’t seem out of the question. Vapor isn’t built on Android Wear now, and it isn’t designed to run apps — it connects to iOS and Android devices, and has a two-day battery life.

It’s kinda thick.

Scott Stein/CNET

The Vapor will cost $199 when it arrives sometime later this year.

All the cool new gadgets at CES 2017
See full gallery

1 – 4 of 21

Next
Prev

Polaroid Pop Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

Polaroid

For its 80th anniversary, Polaroid went back to Ammunition — the design company responsible for its recent products with their distinctive rainbow stripe and bright colors — for its newest camera with a built-in printer. And I have to say, it looks really fun. And not something an adult would be embarrassed to hold.

The Pop, launched at CES, is a 20-megapixel camera with a 3.9-inch LCD, for framing shots and a handful of touchscreen controls for settings, combined with its Zink-technology printer. It can also record 1080p video and store to a microSD card. Like its siblings, it connects to your phone and can act as a printer for your phone photos.

All the cool new gadgets at CES 2017
See full gallery

1 – 4 of 21

Next
Prev

To preserve the Polaroid experience, you can print Polaroid’s signature border around it, though ironically, most of the people who will use these will have never had a genuine Polaroid film experience.

There’s no pricing as yet, and Polaroid expects to ship it in the last quarter of 2017 — just in time for your holiday gift giving and receiving.

Breezi AirPulse Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

Chris Monroe/CNET

Most of us never want to have to think about your HVAC system. Fortunately the Breezi Airpulse, launched at CES 2017 in Las Vegas, is here to help further that cause. It’ll supposedly allow you to spend less time worrying as the AirPulse will keep an eye out for problems on your behalf.

The AirPulse is a Bluetooth sensor that sticks into the filters near your air vents. From there, it senses the pressure on either side of the vent to gauge the life of the filter. You’ll be able to check on the filter’s status on your phone using Breezi’s iOS or Android app.

You’ll also receive a push notification when your filter nears the end of its life. The tip of the Airpulse — the side inside the filter — also has acoustic sensors. The HVAC pros that started Breezi programmed Airpulse to listen for specific frequencies in the way the air is blowing. Based on the type of HVAC system you have, supposedly, AirPulse can use the sound of the air blowing past it to diagnose potential problems before you’d normally notice them.

Check out all the smart home products at…
See full gallery

1 – 4 of 33

Next
Prev

Due out this Spring, you’ll be able to buy the Breezi AirPulse for $30, or you can sign up for a subscription service for $20 a month that includes two AirPulses, and automatic replacement of your vents when they run out of life.

Weirdly, Breezi doesn’t use Bluetooth 5 yet, even though Bluetooth’s showing off the longer range version of the signal prominently at CES. Breezi’s reps assured me that’s an upgrade they’d like to implement in the near future.

D-Link Omna 180 Cam HD Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

D-Link

“Hey Siri, show me my living room.”

Apple’s HomeKit is expanding its repertoire at CES 2017. If you have an iPhone, you can control D-Link’s Omna 180 Cam HD with your voice.

The Omna boasts lots of features we’d expect in a high-end security cam:

• It has a 180 degree viewing angle
• It’s shoots at 1,920×1,080 pixels
• It can see up to 16 ft in the dark
• It has 2 way audio
• You can store footage locally on an SD card or on the cloud

Check out all the smart home products at…
See full gallery

1 – 4 of 33

Next
Prev

The cam stands apart by working with Apple’s smart home software. You’ll be able to use it as part of HomeKit’s rules. For example, your lights can flash if your camera detects something. D-Link also takes advantage of the other big perk of HomeKit — controlling the device with Siri. I wouldn’t expect much voice functionality with a cam, but I like the fact that you can pull up your live feed with your voice.

The Omna should be out in a month and will cost $230, which converts to roughly AU$250 and £150.

Ubtech Robotics Lynx Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

Why hello, Alexa. You look different.

Ubtech Robotics

Alexa just gained a human form while visiting CES 2017 in Las Vegas. The Lynx Robot gives Amazon’s assistant a face, a body, arms and legs. Now, you won’t have to find your Amazon Echo to give a command to Alexa. Alexa can come find you.

The humanoid Lynx from Ubtech Robotics makes full use of its integration with Amazon. You’ll be able to play music, plan your day and control your smart home just by speaking to Lynx. Beyond what Alexa can normally do, Lynx also recognizes your face and can change its responses accordingly.

Check out all the smart home products at…
See full gallery

1 – 4 of 33

Next
Prev

You’ll also be able to ask Lynx to read you your emails, and you can dictate responses through Lynx. Lynx can follow you around and record you if you want to put on a show on social media. You’ll also be able to use the cameras in Lynx to check on your home when you’re away.

Lynx is on display at CES 2017. We’ll have more on Alexa’s new mechanical body later in the week after we spend some hands on time with it.